Package for shipping and transporting bottles



Aug. 4, 1936. H. WURSTER ET AL PACKAGE FOR SHIPPING AND TRANSPORTING BOTTLES Fild Dec. 11, 1933 2 Sheets sheet 2 INVENTORS Ja n 6 limdslram BY War-$16) I f I a m MN.

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1936 PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE FOR. snrrrmc AND TRANSPORTING BOTTLES Harry Wurster, Weehawken, and John G.

Lindstrom, Paterson, N. J.

Application December 11, 1933, Serial No. 701,826

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a package for shipping and transporting bottles and more particularly to a carrier adapted to contain a plurality of bottles which may be used separately as a transporting medium or in combination with an outer carton or container.

It is customary under the present practice to ship and transport bottled beer, soft drinks, and the like in wood or metal crates provided with permanent partitions therein. The individual bottles are then removed from the crate by the retailer and sold to the householder and the shipping crate returned to the brewery or hottling company. When the customer purchases less than a crate of twenty-four bottles from the retailer or brewer, the bottles are either delivered or transported to the customer's residence as loose entities, or in a paper bag. Bottles are cumbersome and inconvenient to handle separately and when placed in a paper bag or container, the bag often breaks under the weight of the bottles. Containers now used for transporting bottled beer and soft drinks leave the bottles fully exposed to sight, a condition which causes embarrassment to certain customers when bottled products are delivered to their residences.

This invention contemplates the provision of a. carrier provided with a convenient number of cells, .each adapted to contain a bottle. The carrier may be inexpensively made of woven, welded, or twisted wire or other strong material. The carrier is provided with means for gripping and releasably retaining the bottles therein when the carrier is positioned on either the bottom, side, or the end wall thereof. The carrier, with bottles positioned therein, is placed in a carton or container of cardboard or similar material and shipped and transported to the retailer or customer. The carrier provides a supporting framework for the bottles, relieving the carton from all strain due to the weight of the bottles. An extensible handle is adjustably connected to the carrier framework. The handle may be adjusted so as to extend above the top of the bottles in one position and provide a convenient hand grip by which the carrier and container may be conveniently carried and transported. During shipment and storage the handle may be telescoped into the container so as to be out of the way, permitting stacking of the containers one upon another so as to occupy a minimum space.

It is customary to ship and deliver bottled drinks in crates containing twenty-four bottles. When cartons of this size are used, we flnd it convenient to provide carriers each adapted to contain six or multiples of six bottles. For example, four carriers holding six bottles each, may be arranged in a single shipping and storage carton. When such a package is delivered to theretailer, he may sell the bottled goods to the customer in units of six, by merely lifting out a single carrier from the carton. The bottles are transported to the customers residence without removing them from the carrier. The carrier thus provides a convenient and inexpensive means by which a plurality of bottles may be carried to or from the zesidence, either by the customer, or the delivery The invention further contemplates the provision of a hood or bag which may be conveniently slipped over the carrier so as to conceal the bottles contained'therein from view during delivery. The carrier is so constructed that it may be conveniently positioned in the customers refrigerator, either on the bottom, side, or end wall thereof. The carrier thus serves asa convenient rack for the bottles while in the possession of the customer. The customer may use the carrier and hood provided therefor in returning the empty bottles to the retailer.

It is an object of this invention to provide a package which will facilitate the shipment, storage, and delivery of bottled beer and soft drinks from the brewer or bottling plant to the customer, either through the retailer or directly to the customer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a convenient package by which the bottling company may ship bottled products to the retailer, and from which the retailer may readily dispense and deliver divisional units of the bottled product to the customer.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a bottle carrier which is strong and durable in construction, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which provides a highly efiicient useful and attractive medium for the delivery'of bottles to the customer.

Further objects of this invention will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds.

In order that a clearer understanding of our invention may be had, attention is hereby direct ed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating certain possible embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete carrier as it appears prior to the insertion of bottles therein;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional view of the carrier shown in Fig. 1; this view being taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical cros sectional view of the carrier shown in Figs. 1 and 2; this view being taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the combination carrier and shipping carton for bottled products, the adjustable handle being shown in raised position for hand transportation of the combination carrier and carton and its contents;

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse cross sectional view of the combination carrier carton shown in Fig. 4, the adjustable handle being scoped into the carton so as to permit stacking of the cartons one upon the other;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the combination carrier and concealing hood showing the hood telescoped over the carrier concealing the contents from view; v

Fig. 7 is a horizontal cross sectional view through a twenty-four bottle carton showing four carriers each containing six bottles positioned therein, this assembly providing a convenient medium for the shipment of bottled products from the brewer to the retailer or customer;

Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal cross sectional view through the combination carrier and carton assembly shown in Fig. '7; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a conventional refrigerator showing one carrier supported on the bottom wall thereof, another on the side wall thereof, and the third on the end wall thereof, the carriers when so arranged providing a convenient rack support for the bottles.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 a bottle carrier formed of wire material is shown, having a cellular arrangement adapted to contain six bottles. The carrier more particularly comprises a supporting framework including wire loops 0. and b which encircle the bottles circumferentially and which are sufficiently spaced to properly support the bottles. Loop 11 surrounds the bottles adj acent the bottom thereof, and loop b surrounds the bottles preferably above the center of gravity thereo The side wall portions of each loop are preferably shaped to provide a series of partial loops I so shaped as to frictionally grip the body of each bottle. The end wall portions 2 may be substantially straight or curvilinear, as the shape of the bottle may re quire.

A pair of U-shaped loops c and d are provided with hook portions 3 at each end thereof which engage respectively with the end wall portions 2 of the horizontal loop I). The U-shaped loops and d may also be provided with offset portions 4 adapted to receive the end portions 2 of the lower horizontal loop a holding the same in assembled position.

The horizontal loops a and b are further connected by transverse hoop shaped loops e and I which encircle the loops 1: and b at the division points between the partial loop portions I. The hoop shaped transverse loops e and t are each provided with offset portions adapted to receive and grip the horizontal loops a. and b. The transverse loops c and d are also provided with offset portions 5 along the bottom thereof which grip the bottom portion of the transverse loops e and f. The transverse hoop shaped loops e and f reinforce the carrier and in addition provide transverse partition walls separating thebottles placed therein.

shown tele- The carrier as above described is adapted to receive a bottle in each of its six cells. It is understood, however, that a carrier of any number of cells formed in the manner above described may be made within the purview of this invention. The bottoms of the bottles rest upon and are supported by the horizontal portion of the U-shaped loops 0 and d. It is understood, however, that the bottom portions of the transverse hoop shaped loops e and I may be so arranged as to provide partial or entire support for the bottom of the bottles. Any number of horizontal loops a and b, longitudinal loops c and d, and transverse loops e and I may be used to form the bottom, side,

and end wall portions of the carrier.

In assembling the carrier the loops 0 and b are preferably formed as a continuous hoop, the side wall portions thereof being given a partial loop contour, each partial loop conforming to the bottle body. The hoop shaped transverse loops e and f are then telescoped over the horizontal loops 4 and b and are held in proper position by the deformed portions 5 thereon. The U-shaped longitudinal loops c and d are then placed in position, the hook portions 3 thereof being hooked over the end wall portions 2 of the top horizontal loop b. The deformed portions 4 retain the lower horizontal loop a in proper adjusted position. As the final operation the longitudinal wires g and h are put in place.

It is understood that the oifset portions 4, 5, and 5 as above described may be provided in any one or both of the respective intersecting loops. The ofiset portions 3, I, 5, and 5 and the hook portions 3 and I may be so shaped as to permanently hold the parts together or they may be used as an expedient to temporarily hold the parts in assembled relationship until the intersecting points may be welded, soldered, wired or otherwise secured together. The parts may also be spun or twisted together from one or more continuous strands of wire, either by hand or an automatic wire forming machine.

The carrier, as above constructed, comprises few parts which may be inexpensively made and assembled. The basket is strong and durable, light in weight, closely conforms to the bottle contour and occupies a minimum of space. The carrier, with bottles therein, may be placed in upright position on'the shelf 55 of the refrigerator R as shown in Fig. 9, or if more convenient, the carrier may be positioned on the side wall thereof in the manner shown on shelf 5|, or the carrier may be positioned on the end wall thereof in the manner shown on shelf 52. The carrier is thus adapted to be placed in three positions for the convenient storage of full or empty bottles and thus provides a convenient rack for the bottles when placed in the refrigerator. The portions l of the horizontal loops 1: and b are so shaped as to grip the bottles and frictionally retain them in any position of the carrier.

To facilitate transportation of the carrier, a handle member i is provided which may be formed from a single piece of wire having leg portions II and I2 forming an elongated loop and shaped to encircle the longitudinally extending wire h. The handle is vertically adjustable in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In the depressed position shown in Fig. 2, the handle is telescoped below the top of the bottles and is completely out of the way. In the position shown in Fig. 3 the handle is raised to extend above the top of the bottles so as to provide a convenient hand grip for transporting the carrier. The handle is releasably held in its fully raised position by the contracted parts It provided on the legs II and II. The handle is releasably held in partially depressed position, as shown in Fig. 5, by the contracted parts I3 provided on the legs II and I2. In the partially depressed position, the horizontal portion I5 01 the handle extends only slightly above the top of the bottles for a purpose which will be hereinafter set forth.

The carrier as above described may be used in combination with a shipping container as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The shipping container may be formed of relatively light weight paperboard material comprising side walls 20, end walls 2| and bottom wall 29 so shaped as to snugly receive the carrier and its contents. The container may be provided with a cover including a closure flap 23 having an opening 24 therein adapted to telescope over the handle i and flap 23 having a slit 25 adapted to receive the leg portions ii of the handle i. The intermediate portion 28 of the flap 23 extends under the handle portion l5 when the flap is in closed position, preventing the handle from dropping into the container when the same is closed, as shown in Fig. 5. It is understood that the flap 22 may also be provided with slits, similar to the slits 25 on the flap 23, in place of the opening 24, if desired.

An opening 24 may also be substituted for slits 25 on the flap 23, if desired. The flap 22 may be provided with openings 26 adapted to receive the ears 2'! provided on the flap 23 to fully close the container. Other means for closing the container may be used, if desired.

When the handle 1' is placed in fully raised position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the handle 1' projects outside of the closure flaps 22 and 23, providing a convenient hand grip by means of which the package may be conveniently carried. During shipment and storage of the container shown, the handles i are pushed inwardly to partially raised position, as shown in Fig. 5. In this position the top handle portion li lies in substantially the same plane as the closure flaps 22 and 23, permitting the containers to be stacked one upon the other without obstruction from the handles i. When in the position shown in Fig. 5 the handles may be readily gripped with the fingers and raised into the carrying position shown in Fig. 4.

This invention also contemplates the provision of a shipping container adapted to receive a plurality of bottle carriers which takes the place of the shipping crate now in use. By way of illustration there is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 a container having four carriers packedtherein, each carrier containing six bottles. The containers may be formed of paperboard, cardboard, or similar material having side walls 30, end walls 3|,

bottom walls 32, and top closure flaps 33 and 34. The container is preferably provided with a longitudinal partition 35 and a transverse partition 36 of paperboard material which separate the carriers positioned therein. As thus arranged the bottles contained therein cannot move, rattle, or come in contact with each other.

This container provides a convenient means for distributing bottled beer, soft drinks, and similar products from the bottling company to the retailer or to the consumer. When a sale of six bottles is made, the retailer lifts a carrier containing six bottles from the container and conveniently delivers the same to the customer.

To conceal the bottles from view while they are being delivered to the customer, the carrier may be covered with a hood 8 as shown in Fig. 6. The hood may be made of inexpensive paper. The hood comprises a top wall 42 which covers the top of the bottles and a skirt comprising side wall portions 40 and end wall portions 4| ex- 5 tending around the sides of the bottles. The top wall 42 of the hood may be provided with an opening 43 through which the handle i of the carrier projects. The hood S may be applied to the individual carriers by the brewer before the carriers are inserted into the container, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, When the complete package is delivered to the retailer, the hoods are then already applied.

The container shown in Figs. 4, 5, 7 and 8 may 15 be made of inexpensive paperboard material of relatively light-weight, since the carrier provides full support for the heavy bottles. Our packaging medium encourages the purchase of bottled products in six bottle units thus increasing con- 20 sumption and sales. The hood S fully conceals the carrier and its contents from view during delivery to the residence of the consumer thus avoiding possible embarrassment and annoyance to the customer. The carrier may be advanta- 25 geously used by the consumer as a rack for the bottles, either when full or empty. The carrier occupies a minimum of space and it may be inserted into the consumer's refrigerator or icebox in a number of convenient positions. The 30 packaging medium as above described facilitates the shipping, transportation and delivery of bottled products from the bottling company tothe retailer or the consumer, and finally facilitates the return of the empty bottles without loss or 35 inconvenience.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various substitutions and modifications may be made. by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. I

What we claim is:

1. A shipping and transporting package for bottles including in combination, a supporting framework comprising a wire basket having a plurality of bottle receiving cells therein, and a container comprising rigid bottom, side, and end walls enclosing said basket and the bottles supported therein, a cover'for said container, said cover having an openingtherein, and a collapsible handle connected to said basket and adapted to extend through said opening to provide means by which the complete package may be carried.

2. A shipping and transporting package for bottled contents comprising, a basket of woven wire having a plurality of bottle receiving cells therein, and a rigid set up container comprising bottom, side, and end walls enclosing said basketeo and contents, a cover for said container having an opening therein, a handle adjustably connected to said basket and extensible through said opening to provide an exterior carrying means for the package, and means for retaining a poro5 tion of the handle exposed so that it can be eastensible through said opening to provide an exterior carrying means for thepackage, and means associated with said container for retaining a portion of the handle exposed so as to permit the same to be easily grasped.

4. A shipping and transporting package for bottles including in combination,- a wire supporting frame having a plurality of bottle receiving cells therein, and a rigid paperboard container comprising bottom, side,'and end walls enclosing said frame, flaps forming a closure for the container, an opening in said flaps, and a handle adjustably connected to said frame and extensible through said opening to provide an exterior carrying means for the package.

5. A shipping and transporting package for bottles including in combination, a supporting frame of metallic material forming a cellular bottle receiving basket, and a container enclosing said basket, a handle adjustably connected to said basket, -means for retaining said handle in extended position, and means for retaining the handle in collapsed telescoped position within the container so that no part thereof projects beyond the container exterior.

6. A bottle carrier comprising a basket formed from intersecting wires providing a plurality of bottle receiving cells, said wires being arranged to provide bottle enclosing bottom, side and end walls, and intermediate bottle separating partitions, certain of said .wires providing means for supporting the carrier on either a side, bottom or end wall thereof, a carrying handle adjustably connected to said basket, and means comprising interengaging and cooperating offset portions on said handle and basket for releasably retaining said handle raised above the top of the bottles.

'1. A bottle carrier comprising a wire basket having a plurality of bottle receiving cells therein, said basket comprising a pair of loops adapted to circumferentially embrace a group of bottles, continuous loops connecting said circumferential loops and providing cell defining partitions, and loops connected to said first mentioned loops providing a support for the bottles positioned thereon.

8. A bottle carrier comprising a wire basket having a plurality of bottle receiving cells therein, said basket comprising a plurality of continuous loops circumferentially embracing a group of bottles, continuous transverse loopsconnecting said circumferential loops providing trans verse partitions, longitudinally extending loops connected to said circumferential loops providing a bottle supporting bottom for the basket, and longitudinal wires connected to said circumferential loops providing a longitudinal partition for the basket.

9. A packaging medium for bottles including in combination, a wire framework having a plurality of bottle receiving cells therein, a hood comprising a top wall portion and a skirt portion removably telescoped over said framework substantially concealing the framework and its contents from view, an opening in said top wall portion, an adjustable handle connected to said framework extensible through said opening, and means comprising interengaging and cooperating offset portions associated with said handle and framework for releasably retaining said handle in raised position so that it can be easily grasped for carrying purposes.

HARRY WURS'I'ER. JOHN G. LINDSTROM. 

